1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a device for ensuring authorized and process-optimized use of semi-finished materials or the like for product production in a production facility.
2. Description of the Related Art
Production facilities for the production of products from semi-finished materials are known from practice in greatly varying embodiments.
A method and a device for controlling a (cigarette) manufacturing and packaging facility is known from DE 199 14 297 A1. However, the method described in this case is not one which is suitable for determining and/or ensuring the authorized use of semi-finished materials. Rather, in this case, a method of consumption-optimized assembly of various semi-finished materials into a finished product having a predetermined piece count is described, without an excess or insufficient quantity being produced and/or semi-finished materials being left over. The process parameters of the associated device are also not calibrated to the product variations of the batch of semi-finished materials.
A method of packing objects is known from DE 97 41 251 A1. According to this method, a packing machine is to be operated in such a way that secondary packages are completely filled with objects and excess products may be removed after the end of the production cycle. It is also not possible to determine and/or ensure the authorized use of semi-finished materials using such a device and/or the method claimed in this case. In this case as well, the process parameters of the associated device are not calibrated to the product variations of the semi-finished material batch.
Finally, a device for counting a number of paper sheets, which is equipped with a comfortable preprogramming of a counting device, which stops a stacking drive upon reaching the preprogrammed target number, is known from DE 33 13 578 C2. In this case, it is within the discretion of the machine operator to fix or change the target number or set it to the value “infinite”. It is also not possible to determine an authorized use of semi-finished materials with this known device.
It may be problematic in these facilities, among other things, that high-quality and error-free production may only be ensured using semi-finished materials or the like for which the production facilities are laid out and calibrated. Semi-finished materials produced without authorization or low-quality raw materials may be processed, but without the product quality able to be guaranteed.